Forced Circumstances
by MsLuciaMalfoy
Summary: A wayward bludger, a clumsy healer and the result is Hermione suffering from a rare malady, which makes her fall in love with the first person she sees. How will Severus handle it? her life is at stake..Plese review!
1. Chapter 1

**This is my attempt at a humourous/fluffy fic with Severus and Hermione. the idea of it hit me like a bludger and kept on hitting me till I wrote it. **

**Please review and tell me what you think. Love, Lucia. **

'Armadillo bile,' Hermione spat at the stone gargoyles in anger. She was meant to meet Headmaster Snape about her possible appointment as the Transfigurations Professor five minutes ago. For these last minutes she had desperately tried to guess the password, naming any sweet, if the password was set for the memory of Dumbledore, or potion ingredient which came to mind.

Straightening the crumpled parchment of the letter she had received, she scanned through the scrawly, but confident, handwriting to see whether she had missed the mention of a password. No such luck. This must be a test, she thought, imagining the tall dark man sitting up in his office and snickering about her inadequacy to guess the password.

A silky purr shook her out of her grumbling and she dropped the parchment she had been crumpling. 'Excuse the delay, Miss Granger.'

'Headmaster Snape,' she greeted, scrambling to pick up the paper. She noticed that he didn't have his signature billowing robes on today, but it didn't make him less menacing. Even though his hair wasn't as greasy anymore, he'd always be the greasy git of the dungeons for her because seemingly his attitude hadn't changed all that much.

'Veritaserum.' The gargoyle glided aside, allowing Snape to step inside. Hermione followed swiftly, rolling her eyes and cursing her own stupidity for not guessing that password.

'Having a few issues?' she muttered under her breath, mentally slapping herself as she realised she had said it out loud.

'No, it's just the password of the week,' came his curt reply and she could hear a badly concealed snicker added to it, too. The nerve the man had! His presence made her feel like she was again a first year, not a possible professor.

'Yes or no?' he asked as he sat down at his desk, his dark gaze scrutinizing her as though she was a student apt to cheat on a test.

Hermione hadn't managed even to get seated, lest to answer a question. 'Yes or no to what?' she demanded, huffing and sitting down on the next available chair without asking permission. She refused to fear him, that was a promise made to herself.

'To the offer of employment that I had stated in the letter and paperwork in which I sent to you. I do not wish to repeat all of it, as it would be a waste of my limited time. I will not try to sweet talk you into acceptance, even though you are the best possible candidate for this post, but if you decline the offer to join Hogwarts staff, I'll have to contact the next best candidate…' He made a dramatic pause, enjoying how she squirmed in her seat, probably fighting the temptation to jump up and wave her hand as an insolent first year.

Even though he found her temper and behaviour a little too feverish at times, there was no denying that she was an excellent Transfigurations Mistress as well as a formidably powerful witch. And she wasn't too hard on the eyes, either. Maybe not a striking beauty, but, with her now curly hair and soft brown eyes she looked rather...how would he put it...cute? Yes, that'd be the right word, he summed up.

Though he'd rather not encounter her at night in a dark alley. It wouldn't be too 'cute' to have her wand pointing at his throat. What was he thinking?

'I do! I want to accept!' She jumped up from her seat, impatience shining in her eyes. Obviously she hadn't lost the fervour she had in her student years, he concluded.

He managed to lead further negotiations in a smooth and quick manner, as the young woman was so elated that he was rather sure she'd agree to reside next to the Giant Squid only to acquire the position. What a joy it was to know that her freelance Transfigurations work had neither been very challenging, nor rewarding. From certain sources he knew that she was struggling with funding her experiments.

He was more than happy to give her all the funding needed. Severus had gotten Malfoy Senior to oversee Hogwarts' finances and seek new funding because he wanted Hogwarts to become, not only a brilliant school, but also famed for the spectacular research done by the professors. Longbottom's recent thesis on improving Mandrake crops was rather innovative, he had to admit. Adding Granger to the staff would only increase the positive press.

'I'm so honoured to join the staff, Professor!' Her smile was so wide, he wondered whether it could be converted into some amount of illumination. He hated happy people. Why on earth was she smiling at him? He was not used to that. Severus was more comfortable with the slightly cowering attitude of Longbottom.

Why in Merlin's name was she still smiling at him? A little voice in the back of his mind said that she had a very nice smile, but he ignored it quickly. Severus Snape did not do nice. He wasn't a nice man; that was what he kept repeating to himself all the time. Of course, in the last years after the fall of Voldemort and Severus' re-establishment in the wizarding world, a lot of witches had tried to smile at him seductively. Sure, these witches were after his considerable bank account, that wasn't even a question. Not that they were after his good looks or his smashing personality. 'But you still like how sincere Granger smiles', a little voice reappeared in his head making him wonder whether he was going nuts or was just losing his touch at intimidating people. It seemed to him that her smile had lasted for minutes, even though it lasted for only a few seconds in truth.

'As the contract is signed, I think you can start on your Head of House duties now…'

'But I was only supposed to move in on Monday and start class on Wednesday!' she interjected, thinking that Snape really was a slave driver.

'If you hadn't interrupted me so rudely, you would know that I was merely offering to escort you to this season's first Gryffindor versus Slytherin game.' His tone was strict and almost cold, making her feel stupid again. Turns out he just wanted to do a rather nice and normal thing and not make her scrub cauldrons without magic all day.

'Oh, I'd love that!' she replied, waiting for him to take her hand and escort her as a proper gentleman would.

However, she had no such luck. Severus just turned and marched out of the office, his stride always exactly two steps ahead of her. He always believed that the only reason a man took a woman's arm to escort her somewhere was to feel her up. Even though he hadn't gotten laid in the last six months, he would never stoop as low as trying to feel up a member of staff. 'But she's the youngest and best looking,' again the little voice, now in a singsong tone, came up in his mind.

As they hurried through the hallways of the castle, Hermione noticed that the students were surprisingly well behaved in the presence of the dour Headmaster, as the students respectfully stepped out of his way, thus not earning a loss of house points.

It was actually the first time Hermione was going to have a seat in the Professor's box . The last time she had been anywhere near it was when she had set Snape's robes on fire during her first year. What a wonderful memory, she thought, when she watched the Headmaster sitting next to Draco Malfoy, Head of Slytherin house and the exceptionally gorgeous Potions Master of the school . It was no secret that he had trained with his house's Quidditch team in the past, and continued to do so even now. The pictures she had scrapbooked from last summer's Witch Weekly were mouth watering. Not that she had become a fan of Malfoy; she just admired his perfect body. It had been a year since she had broken up with Ron. He just wasn't a worthy match for her as all he talked about was Quidditch and food.

Doubtlessly, her interaction with Malfoy hadn't always been friendly, especially their schooldays with endless taunting each other, but after the war he had owled her and apologised for his behaviour towards her. That had meant a lot to her as Malfoys never apologise. Still, it didn't make them friends, but she knew that he had dropped pureblood supremacy belief, as he had talked to Muggleborns at Ministry functions just as with everyone else. She didn't know how they'd get along now when they both were going to be in close proximity all the time.

However, Professor Malfoy, who was actually winking at her suggestively at the moment, was quite intelligent, maybe not as gifted as Snape, but still Draco's recent theories about the uses of Armadillo bile were quite interesting and made 'Potions Today' go off the shelves rather quickly. Maybe it was caused by his portrait on the cover, Hermione mused. It was time for her to look for a man worthy of her. Preferably someone who happened to be intelligent and handsome as well. Malfoy kind of fit the requirements.

Engrossed in contemplations about Malfoy's sex appeal, still not seated and standing with her back towards the playing field, she didn't notice Neville's frantic waving towards her, or the swishing sound of a wayward Bludger flying her way. It happened in a fraction of a second, the Bludger hitting the unsuspecting young professor right in the back of her head. The impact from the hit was so strong that she fell to the ground unconscious the next moment.

The first to overcome the initial shock of surprise was the headmaster, who, after checking her vitals as existent but unstable, took the frail witch in his arms and disapparated to the hospital wing with a clap of thunder.

'How could he do it?' Neville asked to no one in particular, as he kept on looking around confused.

'Come on, Longbottom, we're off to the hospital wing. We have to see to the well-being of our colleague.' Malfoy nudged the clumsy Herbology Professor.

'But… How?' Neville kept on stammering.

'We'll be walking. As fast as we can. The Headmaster changed the wards so only he apparate within Hogwarts grounds. Move!'

The last bellow made Neville move frantically, giving a last glance to the stands. The game went on, obviously the referee, Flint, who was teaching flying this year as he had been suspended from the Quidditch League for a year for using foul moves, didn't see fit to discontinue the game, especially since Slytherin had managed to score 3 goals in the midst of confusion.

Trainee Healer Heidi Flower almost fell from her chair as she heard the loud clap of Apparition in the ward.

'What's going on here?' she asked, hoping to sound as strict as Madame Pomfrey, but it didn't quite turn out like the desired tone.

'Move! There has been a Quidditch accident. A professor has been hit by a Bludger' came the Headmaster's short and sharp answer, which made Heidi's skin crawl. She was so scared of Snape.

'It seems to be a concussion, but it'd be wise to administer…' his speech was interrupted by the young Healer's.

'I know what to do! In Healer training we learned…' she ran first to inspect the patient, finding her stable and breathing, yet unconscious.

Making another run for the medicinal potion's cupboard Heidi looked through the rows of neatly organized potions. Unfortunately, all of them were in similar dark glass vials, so skimming through the labels, she picked what seemed to be a pain reliever and wit sharpener. She was so nervous, this was her first case of being in charge of a patient and she wanted to impress the dour Headmaster, too.

Snape stepped away from Hermione, he would let the Healer do her work, even though he didn't trust this Miss Flower, though she was supposed to be the very best of her course, but she reminded him too much of a dunderhead. Nevertheless, if Poppy believed the chit could handle anything, and then he'd just let the responsibility lie with Poppy, as his own healing skills had considerably lessened in the years after the war.

After a few minutes, Hermione started to stir. He was at her bedside in a flash, wanting to assure himself that his newest staff member was alive and well.

Hermione felt rather dizzy and her head hurt terribly. She also had the strange notion that she was missing someone terribly.

'Miss Granger, how are you?' she heard Snape's concerned voice ask.

When she saw his dark eyes, concern hidden within their depths, she realised what, or better whom, she had missed.

'Severus, my love! Are you alright?' his eyes were suddenly full of confusion. She thought that he looked terribly cute this way, so after running her fingers lightly over his jaw, she pulled him down for a kiss. It felt so good to kiss those thin, but soft and reluctant lips. The next second he had given in she let her tongue probe his lips gently. Oh, this was heaven. Her love was here and concerned about her. But this kiss was making everything better and he seemed to give in rather quickly.

A loud thud was heard in the hospital wings doorway. Professor Longbottom had passed out from the sight of Snape kissing Hermione.

Longbottom and Malfoy had been detained by hexing Peeves and removing the inscription _'Sevvie-poo is never going to get laid_' from the door of the Great Hall. Draco was about to snicker about Severus' indiscretion when his loud bellow rang through the air.

'Miss Granger, unhand me this instant!' Snape yanked her hands away from his neck and stepped away from the bed.

'I'm so sorry; love, I was just so happy to see you…' The young witch's eyes filled with tears and she started to sob into her pillow.

Snape's gaze wandered to the vials next to her bed and he knew that the trainee healer had made a blunder, as the empty vials were labelled as 'Problem reliever -Befuddlement Draught' and 'Happiness Enhancer- Draught of Joy' –definitely not something to treat a concussion, nor were these potions similar to any known love potions.

'Malfoy, get a proper Healer!' Snape ordered the blonde Slytherin, who obeyed the order instantly.

Hogwarts had never been so much fun before, thought Draco when he flooed St. Mungo's. He wanted to know what the hell had happened to Granger, as he thought that if she was going to snog someone, then it was definitely him who was worthy, not his broody godfather.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, this is the second chappie! The story's written till the 5th chappie now... **

Severus was absolutely baffled. No one had ever called him 'love', not even his mother. So what was this slip of a girl, correction, young woman, insinuating? The Bludger must have hit her too hard and taken away all remnants of logic, so it appeared.

Or she would've never kissed him. The kiss had been so soft, so passionate, so unlike anything Severus had ever experienced, that's why he hadn't pulled back the very minute she had touched his lips with hers. He knew that he had taken advantage of her befuddled mind; then again, she was an adult and responsible for her own actions, though he had never been against being snogged by a rather pretty woman, especially if he could gloat about it to Harry Potter and all his chums Yes, this thought made him feel more comfortable.

He looked at the crying witch on the cot again. He shouldn't have yelled at her, he knew, but that was just his self-preservation mechanism to stop himself from deepening the kiss. So much for his famed self control. He was just a man, a man who hadn't gotten laid in ages, and his body had urges which were out of his control, much to his chagrin.

Another weakness, which he could not fight, was crying women. There was just something unsettling and terrifying about them. And this crying woman reminded him that it was he who had behaved like a bastard, like his idiot Muggle father who had mercilessly hit his poor, wandless mother. Cold and harsh Severus might be, but he wasn't a mindless abuser.

'Now, now, Miss Granger, where's your Gryffindor courage?' he asked her in a soft, silky purr, smoothing a few strands of her messy hair. She made him feel terribly guilty very easily.

Slowly, she turned around to face him, wiping a few tears away with her small hand.

'So you're not angry at me? Please tell me you're not angry…'she pleaded.

What was he to do? He knew he was crap at emotional stuff. Heck, he couldn't sort himself out, how was he to handle an emotional woman who had been hit into the head? If it wouldn't have been such a sissy thing to do, he'd run to Minerva and let her sort it out.

'I'm not angry. I just want to make sure you're alright,' he said, trying to pull his hand away from the side of the cot, as he felt her small hands clasp his large palm in a dead grip. Sneaky little chit, he thought, but decided that her touching his hand was far more acceptable than snogging.

'I know that you always have a way with words. But you don't have to hide your emotions from me, Severus. I love you and I want to share everything with you. You don't have to worry about me; I'll be fine, if only that little dunderhead could get me a pain reliever.' She sighed, her hands still holding Severus'. It felt so good to know that he was here and worried about her. Sure, he wouldn't say it in words, but she knew that deep down under the layers of robes beat a heart, even though right now his face remained the neutral mask he wore every day.

'Umm…sorry to interrupt you, Headmaster, but could I talk to you for a few moments? I'm St. Mungo's Principal Healer Doolittle.' A little chubby wizard was standing right next to Severus.

'Will you excuse me for a moment?' Severus asked Hermione, who nodded with a happy smile. She looked oddly blissful; somehow he couldn't place why she would be so happy.

'I've talked to Miss Flower and she showed me the wrongly administered potion bottles. Tell me, what happened after the patient woke up?'

'She…Professor Granger called me her 'love' and kissed me full on the lips,' Severus answered, sounding as composed as usual.

'Did you have previous liaisons with) Professor Granger?' the healer asked.

"I did NOT have a liaison with her!" he snarled. "She signed her contract today to become a professor here and I am far more professional than that!" He should lose his temper first, then regain control of himself. The thought of having a relationship with her would be rather infuriating to him. What idiot had Draco found? Was that really the Principal Healer?

'Now, now, Headmaster, calm down,' the healer said in a patronising tone. 'We both very well know that relations between two consenting adults are not forbidden.'

'Are you going to teach me morals or tell me what's wrong with her?' Severus demanded, deciding that it was time to show the idiot Healer who was the boss here.

'I have a strong suspicion of a rare magical malady, but first I need to talk to the patient,' the healer said quietly, yet confidently before he strolled towards the direction of Hermione's cot. The cheek the man had--no one walked away from Severus Snape without being properly dismissed.

Turning to look over to the cot where Professor Longbottom had been deposited, he held back the urge to gag. The dunderhead Healer was cooing over a seemingly healthy Longbottom.

'Miss Flower, you are dismissed from your position. Do not hope for a good reference from Hogwarts, or for an intern ship here,' Severus said in his usual poisonous drawl, revelling in the effect he had on the girl. The poor girl was white as a sheet with tears threatening to spill from her eyes, though she didn't cause a bout of pity in him, like Hermione had done.

'Sir, that was very unfair of you!' It was the voice of Professor Longbottom that grated on his already frayed nerves. 'She made a mistake for which she is sorry. Hermione will be better soon, I'm sure, and she wouldn't want to ruin Heidi's references.'

'It was her fault that Professor Granger is now suffering from this weird malady. How do you suggest Miss Flower shall repent her sins?' Severus asked in his best intimidating tone. He loved to egg on Longbottom.

'Remember, I asked you for the finances to hire an assistant for gathering the crops of valuable Herbs from the greenhouses? She is qualified enough to help me. She would do it for free as well, if you do not write a dooming reference for her.'

The petite girl nodded frantically, her face regaining a little colour.

The offer Longbottom made was plausible. It meant he would save a good few galleons on the Herbs meant for sale. And if Longbottom was capable of teaching, then the chit might be capable enough to help with the crop, as it seemed she was entranced by Longbottom's charms.

'Fine, I agree. On the condition that the crop must be picked correctly,' Severus said in a gruff tone, however it didn't bring the desired effect. The girl was now smiling widely and, to his disgust, leaning towards Longbotton and most likely going to snog the ex-Gryffindor.

Severus didn't want to have such revolting pictures in his mind, so he turned to return to Hermione's cot, but decided against it, as he saw that she was still intently talking to the healer.

He was curious as to what was being said, so he muttered a silent eavesdropping spell, letting him listen in on their conversation. No one was supposed to have secrets from the Headmaster; he thought and snickered at his own Slytherin genius. He tried to look nonchalant as he strode to the rows of chairs where Malfoy was sitting, and sat down, listening intently.

'So, how long have you been in love with...umm…Severus?' the healer asked her in a soft, fatherly tone.

'Oh, I've always admired him, but I guess I've been in love with him since we bought Snarky, my, or better our cat, in March.'

'Are you sure?'

'Of course I am sure! Such things one cannot forget!' she said in a bossy, determined voice.

'Alright, Miss Granger. I think you need to rest for a bit, and I will send the necessary medicines to treat your concussion to the infirmary shortly. However, I will need to explain more about the treatment to the headmaster, so I am afraid he won't be able to keep you company for a while.'

'That's fine. I know he'll come back to me as soon as he can. He always does…He's such a wonderful, honourable man.' She sighed contently and yawned. 'I guess I'll nap a bit.'

'Headmaster, Mr. Malfoy, would you please follow me to my office at St. Mungo's? There we will have more privacy than in this ward; my office cannot be penetrated by any eavesdropping charms, for example.' The healer smiled warmly at the two men and proceeded to the fireplace.

'So, why am I being detained from my work and forced to sit here and have tea? I have had enough of these niceties!' Severus growled as he put a fine white china tea cup on a side table rather loudly.

'Well, the matter is rather delicate and I do not know how to approach it correctly, as I know it will not sit well with you.'

'Just tell me what it is,' Severus demanded, ignoring Malfoy's chuckles.

'Professor Granger is suffering from the rare, but possible _Disastrous Amorous Syndrome_. The mix of the potions she had been given, plus the concussion as well as the visual fixation…makes her think she is deeply in love with you, Headmaster.'

'Then I'll just tell her that she's lost it.' Severus huffed, thinking how much glaring he could've done while stalking the hallways of his school.

'Alas, that is something you cannot do. If you outright reject her, or even give her the notion of rejection, her now unstable magical balance will be ruined and she'll turn into a squib, and what's even worse, she'll lose her sanity, too,' the healer said in grave tones. Draco was sitting dead quiet now.

'I do not believe it! There must be a cure!'

'As you don't want to do what will help her remain her own self, I will show you a patient who has been suffering from this illness for fifty years now.'

Reluctantly, Severus and Draco got up from their chairs and followed the healer to the long-term residents' ward. Judging from the hallways, it looked harmless enough.

The healer knocked at a white door, similar to all others in the hallway.

'Mary, you have a visitor.'

'Oh my god, oh my god, just give me a second to look decent!' came a cheery voice from behind the door.

'She sounds normal enough,' Severus grumbled.

'Professor, would you like to come with me to the waiting area and talk about the annual ball?' The healer led Draco away, chattering about small talk issues all the time.

Meanwhile, the door had opened and an older woman, clad in a blinding red evening dress stepped out of the room.

Her dazzling smile fell as she saw Severus.

'I knew he wouldn't come,' she said in an incredibly sad voice.

'I came to see how you are…' Severus said uncertainly.

'Do you know Lucius? Lucius Malfoy?' she asked, her voice gaining again a spark of hope.

'I happen to know him…' Severus said cautiously, regarding the small, old witch. Her big eyes had faded to a bleak hazel and her now almost white, curly hair still had a few strands of dark gold in it.

'Then come in, come in,' the witch urged, her back now straight again and a smile on her face.

He noticed a large, pink and heart strewn photo frame where a picture, cut out from last week's Prophet, was put together with a smiling image of a young, pretty witch.

'Don't we look gorgeous together? I know me and Lucius are meant to be,' she said in a dreamy voice, taking the picture frame and hugging it to her heart.

'You know, we fell in love from the first sight at the Quidditch World Cup. That was 40 years ago. He looked so gorgeous in his dark robes, like a Greek god…' she paused, picking up a piece of fabric which rested next to the pile of newspapers.

'This is a piece of his robe from that day. My poor darling was so heartbroken when his father yanked him away…and all because of that Cissy bitch! She doesn't love him at all, I know! I follow every word what's written in the newspapers. He couldn't have me as he would've lost his inheritance. I couldn't let it happen. But I know that one day I will be Mrs. Malfoy.'

Severus just stood there, unmoving and listened to the witch's rant. Another secret to blackmail Lucius with was always good to have; a Slytherin would never let such an opportunity pass by.

'And now, let me show you my favourite place in this hotel-like establishment.' She took Severus' hand and dragged him out of the room with such determination that he couldn't even object in time.

Her determined stride came to a halt when she saw Draco in the lounge talking to the healer. Severus was left alone in the middle of the hallways as the witch strode towards Draco.

'Lucius?' she asked, her voice almost a whisper.

'No, I'm sorry ma'am, I am Draco Malfoy,' Draco said, turning to face the woman.

'Oh my god, it's you!' she squeaked and ran to the young man, kneeling beside him and taking his face in her bony hands.

'You look so much like Lucius, not a thing like that Black woman,' Mary mumbled.

'What?' Draco asked in confusion.

'Do not worry my boy; I will be a good stepmother to you. Tell your father that Mary still loves him, alright? I'd love to chat longer, but I have to go and do my hair. You know appearance is so important for a future Mrs. Malfoy,' she said in a cheery voice and she was gone in a second.

'Who was that?' Draco asked the healer.

'That was Mary, the victim of the _Disastrous Amorous Syndrome_. Obviously, her fixation is your father. He rejected her as he didn't like her at all. Her almost sanity is maintained by constant perusal of all available media. Your father has been very forthcoming and has been sponsoring Mary's stay in this ward for about 40 years now…'

'What do I do to prevent Miss Granger's degradation to such a pitiful existence?' Severus asked, his voice stern, but a hint of underlying concern could be distinguished by Draco, who had known his Godfather for all his life.

'You act as if you are accepting of her love…there have been cases when the witch has recovered from the Syndrome after a few weeks,' the healer answered uncertainly.

'If that is what it takes to save my new Professor, I will have to do it. No need to waste time. Draco, we need to return to the school to make proper arrangements!' Severus said in a strong, determined voice. He might not have warm and fuzzy feelings towards the girl, but no one deserved to be reduced to a pile of sulking love-sick idiocy.

Flooing back to the school, Severus strode towards the hospital wing, not noticing the pink fluorescent writing on the door of the great hall.

However, Draco did notice it, but didn't let Severus know of it.

i _Sevvie has a limp knob_ /i was not the most creative slogan of Peeves' doing, but recently the poltergeist had lost his touch. Draco removed the offending inscription before any of the little dimwits he taught got the wrong idea.

Walking back to the dungeons, Draco thought of his lack of luck to not have Hermione fixated on him with her love. What good publicity he'd have then. But one can dream, right?

_Please review and tell me what you liked and what you'd love to see in future. _


End file.
